Exercising device.



E. F. BALDWIN. EXERCISING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 28. I916.

Patnted Sept. 191?.

5 Q 02 am my EMERSON BALDWIN, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

EXERoIsING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented dept. 25, ilil il i Application filed December 28, L916. serial in. 139,291.

To all whom it may concern: H V

Be it known that I, EMERSON F. BALDWIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Exercising Devices, of which the following is a specification. The principal object of the present invention may be said to reside in the roviding of an exercising device constructed for use while a. person is lying upon the back for reducing corpulence' and for other health exercises. A further object of the piesent invention resides in the providing of aI1 6X ercising' device of this character possessed of simple, economical and compact construction which may be readily attached to the head of a bed, to the wall or other appropriate place. A still further object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable and self-locking relation of parts between the ends of the operating cable and a foot attachment for the lengthening or shortening of said cable. @the'r and further objects of the'present invention reside in the providing" of general details of construction and in the arrangements and combination of parts. e

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described and finally claimed.

The nature, characteristic features and scope of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with theaccornpan'ying drawings forming part hereof and which:

Figure 1 is aview in side elevation of the exercising device illustrating the same as used when applied to a bed. I i I 2 is a fragmentary view in front e1e vation of the top portion thereof.

Fig. 3 is a plan View, partly sectioned, of the pulley frame. I

Fig. 4 is a view in cross-section thereof, W

Fig". 5 is a plan view of the underside of the foot attachments.

F 19;. 6 is an enlarged plan view of one of the foot attachments, and

Fig. 7 is aperspectiveview of a modified form of device for application to the head ofa bed. A

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings oneferm thereof which is at resentpreferred by are, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instruinentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the instruincntalities as herein shown and described.

In the specific embodiment shown in the drawings, use is made of a cable 10, extensible in character, the bight of which cable passes around a series of pulleys 11 for free back and forth movement in a substantially horizontal plane and is connected to foot attachments 12. The ulleys may be attached to the head rail of a bed, as shown to a wall or to anyappropriate place, the place of attachment being immaterial, although the exerciser is admirably adapted for use by a person lying in bed. The pulleys 11 which may be of ivood orother appropriate material are shown as being supported within a rectangular frame 18 which may be of the same material as the pulleys. The axes of the pulleys are vertically disposed with respect to the frame 13 Screw-eyes 14.- are fitted to the rear of the frame 18. Fitted to each screw eye is a metallic buckle-like member Adjustably secured to each member 15 is a perforated leather strap 16 provided with a hook-like device 17. This construction is adapted for use upon What is known metallic beds, such as is shown in the drawings. In practice, the straps 16 are passed around the horizontal cross-piece or head rail a of a bed Z) and the bucklelilr'e members 15 adjusted accordingly, so that to secure the parts to the bed, it is merely necessary to slip the hook-like device 1.7 over a member 15. This position of parts is illustrated in Fig. 1. In the event of attaching the exercising device to a wooden bed, I employ the device shown in Fig. 7 which is adapted to befitted over the headboard of a bed. Such device embraces a pair of parallel rods 18 preferably of wood con nected at one end by means of a leather strap 18. At the other end of the rods there is provided a strap arrangement 18 provided with buckle for detachably securing the strap parts together. In practice, the rods 18 are fitted around a headboard of a bed the strap par-s18 buckled together. The bars ism-e held in this position by straps l buckled as at 19' which rest upon top at the headboard, said has being fitted within loops of said straps 19, as clearly shown in Fig. 7. With this device in position, the straps 16 hereinbefore described may be readily attached to a bar 18 for p0- sitioning the exercising devices of the invention. The cable 10 of desired length and which is of non-elastic material is first doubled upon itself evenlv so that there are two free ends 0. These ends are then passed up through apertures 20 in one of the foot attachments 12, see Fig. 5, so that a loop is present as at 21 upon the underside of said foot attachment. The free ends of the cable are then passed to and back of an outermost pulley, then passed in front of the central pulley and thence back of the opposite outermost pulley and passed to the other foot attachment. This foot attachment is provided with slotted portions 22 upon its sides and disposed at an angle as shown in Fig. 6. The free ends of the cable 10 are passed down through said slots 22, twisted about one another beneath the foot attachment as at '23 and the free ends 0 brought up through said slots for the purpose of adjusting the length of the cable 10 as will be presently described, and in this connection, it is to be observed that the bight of the cable 10 is doubled as is the entire length thereof. Each foot attachment may be provided with a perforated strap 2a adapted to be secured as by leather laces 24 along the perforated edge 24 of each foot attachment. This arrangement forms a loop to receive the toe portion of the foot of a person exercising. The size of the loop may be readily adjusted and may also be readily moved forwardly or rearwardly of a foot attachment as desired. This is possible because of the perforated foot attachment, perforated strap and the leather laces. Each foot attachment is also provided with a fixed heel piece 25 which may be of wood and secured as by nails or the like to the foot attachments, which in practice are preferably made of thin, flat strips of wood on account of eheapness and because a light, strong and rigid foot attachment is desired to obtain best results. Such heel piece is curved to fit the heel as shown in Fig. 6. As thus constructed, the apparatus is manufactured principally of wood, leather and cord, all of which as assembled are durable and comparatively inexpensive.

In use, the exerciser is attached in proper position and the person using the same (lying upon the back) fits the foot attachments to the feet. By moving one knee and then the other in an upward direction, the cable moves around the pulleys in a back and forth or reciprocating manner in a sub stantially horizontal plane so that the weight or pull exerted upon the cable by a persons leg in descending, practically pulls up the other leg and so on. Thus after once starting an exercising movement,- the respective moor less unconscious movements. In this way,

a person may readily exercise, without undue fatigue, the muscles of the legs, loins,

and abdomen. The hands are not used in the above described system of exercising and may assume any desired position. i

In order to adjust the cable length, the same is accomplished in the following manner. The pulley parts being properly positioned, for instance, upon the head of a bed, a person secures the foot attachments to the feet and assumes a reclining position. If it be desired to shorten the cable 10, a free end 0 thereof (which in Fig. 6 is an innermost portion) is 1 grasped in each hand and a pull exerted thereon to cause suflicient cable to be drawn up through the foot attachment that has theslots 22 therein. As the bight of the cable freely passes around the pulleys 11, such shortening of the cable obviously causes the foot attachments to be advanced in a direction toward the pulley parts. If it be desired to lengthen the cable 10, a part 0 thereof (which in Fig. 6 is an outermost portion) is grasped in one hand and a pull exerted thereon to cause a sufficient portion of that particular free end to be drawn toward the foot attachment having the slots 22 therein. Then the opposite outermost end 0 is pulled in a similar manner and in this connection it is to be observed that the parts 0 must be pulled separately and not at the same time. Obviously, this lengthens the amount of the cable between the two foot attachments. These adjustments, which may be for a mere fraction of an inch, if desired, may be easily accomplished at any time during an exercising movement without a person leaving an exercising position which obviously is advantageous. However, at other times, the cable connection, with respect to a foot attachment having the slots 22 therein, is firm and secure on account of the twist 23 in. the cable beneath said attachment and little or no slip takes place after adjustment has been effected. In other words, because of the twist 23 in the cable, the harder the parts 0 of the cable are pulled evenly and at the same time, the more firm and secure the cable parts are maintained in position. Thus in effect an adjustable and self-locking cable is provided thereby doing away with various fastening attachments which in addition to providing a simple form of interlock cheapens construction. Further, no locking attachments calculated to get out of order are present. I

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful construction which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description and while I have in the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What I claim is:

1. An exercising device for use in alying position embracing a frame adapted for sus pension above a persons head, a series of pulleys for said frame, a single, continuous cable the bight of which is adapted for free hack and forth movement around the pulley in a substantially horizontal plane and a sandal-like attachment for each end of said cable for connection with a persons feet, whereby in use the weight of a persons leg in descending tends to raise the other leg.

2. An exercising device for use in a lying position embracing an elongated rectangular frame adapted for suspension above a persons head, a series of pulleys disposed in alinement and mounted in said frame, a single cable the bight of which is adapted for free hack and forth movement around the pulleys in a substantially horizontal plane, a sandal-like attachment for each end of the cable for connection with a persons feet and an adjustable self-locking connection between a foot attachment and the cable end for relatively increasing or decreasing the length of the cable.

3. In a device of the character stated, an elongated rectangular frame adapted for supension in a horizontal position and provided with a series of pulleys, the axes of which are vertically disposed with respect to the frame, said pulleys being arranged in alinement and so disposed that a pulley is located adjacent each end of the frame and at least another pulley intermediate the end pulleys, and a single cable the bight of which is adapted for free back and forth movement around said pulleys in a substantially horizontal plane, the cable passing to the rear of the end pulleys and to front of the intermediate pulley, the latter pulley serving to maintain the cable bight in alinement with the outer pulley centers and a sandal-like attachment for each end of the cable for connection with a persons feet.

l. A device of the character stated embracing a frame adapted for suspension above a persons head, a series of pulleys for said frame, ansingle cable the bight of which is adapted for free hack and forth movement around the pulley in a substantially horizontal plane, said cable being doubled over upon itself throughout its entire length so that a closed and an open end are provided and apertured sandal-like foot attachments for the cable ends, the free ends of the cable being passed through the apertures in one direction so that the closed end thereof abuts against the underside of the attachment, said free ends of the cable then being passed down through the apertures of the other at tachment and twisted with respect to one another and brought up through saidapertures, said cable arrangement forming an adjustable and self-locking adjustment.

5. A device of the character stated embracing a substantially rectangular elongated frame adapted for suspension in a horizontal position, a series of pulleys for the frame, the axes of which are vertically disposed with respect to the frame, a single, continuous cable the bight of which is adapted for free back and forth movement around said pulleys and sandal-like feet attachments for the cable ends so disposed that an adjustable selflocking connection is provided between said attachments and cable for relatively increasing or decreasing the cable length.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence of two witnesses.

EMERSON F. BALDWIN.

"Witnesses:

WILLIAM J. JACKSON, HELEN M. BYRNE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

l Washington, D. C. 

